The Cape Breton Post

A new biomass plant in Cape Breton will use anaerobic giestors to produce methane gas instead of burning the wood waste.

[BADDECK, NS] — Luciano Lisi announced his company's plans during the Cape Breton Partnership's investment summit in Baddeck Thursday. He said the financing for the project is already in place.

It is to be built on a six-acre property in the park.

The traditional method is to burn biomass in a boiler to generate steam to turn a steam turbine generator. Lisi's project would use the gasification method and would involve the use of two anaerobic digesters to generate methane gas.

"We don't burn anything," Lisi said.

The biomass that would be used would include food waste and other sources of organic material such as wood fibre that can be converted to gasoline.

Lisi said the plant will create 15 new full-time jobs, as well as 50 in forestry and farming. Employees will be trained during the year it will take to construct the plant, Lisi said. He added they hope to contract farmers who have land not being used to grow food crops.

Predictability and uniformity of the biomass supply means better efficiency, he said, adding it will reduce the amount of forest fibre needed. The company has been given an allocation under the Department of Natural Resources' biomass cap.

The biomethane that will be produced could also be used to supply vans and trucks that have been modified and there are plans to have a fueling station on site, Lisi said.